Global governance at the energy-security nexus: Lessons from UNSCR 1540

Abstract

Advances in nuclear, biological, and chemical technologies have transformational potential related to the global energy supply chain. At the same time, those advances pose significant security risks because those the same technologies can be diverted for violent purposes. Recognizing this threat, the United Nations Security Council in 2004 took the unprecedented step of invoking its Chapter VII authority to pass Resolution 1540, which obligated all UN members to develop, implement, and report on a comprehensive regulatory system for tracking the production and distribution of technology related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The resolution reflected a new international commitment to preventing the proliferation of WMD and a potentially revolutionary approach to transnational regulation. In contrast to traditional approaches that rely on rigorous third-party monitoring, verification, and enforcement, UNSCR 1540 relies on a more dynamic and iterative process of norm elaboration and dissemination that strengthens the social fabric necessary to react to emerging threats. While UNSCR 1540 faces ongoing challenges, it also holds promise as a model of cooperative governance in particularly complex and sensitive issues, such as those that characterize politics at the energy-security nexus.